NOTE: Big Oops! This is the same Newsletter that was sent out at 3:00a.m. this morning but it had the subject line of an older issue and one of the links didn't work. That'll teach me to write when I should be sleeping!

Have a great day and I'll send the next Pittie Patter on March 6th.

I received a message from Gale
S. that she hasn't been receiving her Pittie Patter
Newsletters. Why?

Because I haven’t written one since August! I know. Very
unprofessional of me and I’ve felt so guilty about it,
it’s taken me even longer to write one! The problem is
I’m all too human.

For those of you who’ve been with me since the start, you
know I moved from Georgia to Minnesota in the Spring of
2012. Separated from the loves of my life, my husband and
three of my dogs I wasn’t in good shape. I tried to focus
on the good things in my life.

My elderbull Bonz and I moved in temporarily with my son
and his dog Kurby. While getting used to a new state, a
new climate (I swear I was cold half the summer), and looking
for a new job. . . my son was hit with terrible news.
Kurby had terminal cancer.

I put off the job search and stayed home to care for my
granddog. I will never regret that decision, but I do
admit that writing about dog health was the furthest
thing from my mind.

I was feeling sorry for myself, plus I wondered how many
people really read their Pittie Patter since no one tells
me. Even after I got Gale's message I pretended she was
the only one who noticed.

Now you know why I titled this issue "Slap Me". I want to
publicly apologize to Gale and everyone else who missed
me.

If you would like to do me the honor of reading about
Kurby, you can find his story at Dog Memorial.

What's New at Three Little Pitties?

If you’ve ever wondered what to keep on hand for a basic dog medicine chest, I’ve got the answers for you at Home Remedies for Dogs.

It’s a list of my top favs (there’s 6) to keep on hand and they’re great for humans too! And of course, none of them are drugs or have side effects. After all, we don't want to add toxins, we want to build a stronger body while helping it heal itself.

So, if you would like to have an antiseptic; an antibacterial; an antibiotic; a wound care salve (including a cure for abscesses), a remedy for vomiting and carsickness; and emergency poison relief... Go on, take a peak.

And just so you know, I did a lot of homework to find the best quality home remedies and I now may earn money from your purchase.

Dog Health Tip - Watch that Tap!

If you give your dog tap water, look out! When I wrote Water for Dogs I knew chlorine was bad and so was fluoride but here’s more on fluoride (thanks to Dogs Naturally Magazine):

More recent research shows that fluoride ingestion can cause dental fluorosis (disease of the teeth), weakening of bones, bone loss, bone cancer, kidney disease, osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and hormone disruption. It can also lead to reduced IQ levels and cognitive damage.

Due to the controversial findings on the fluoridation of water, a number of western European countries such as Austria, Germany, and Belgium have prohibited the practice of adding fluoride to their water. In fact, 98% of Europe is now free of fluoridated water.

Supplement of the Month - Kefir

Yes, Kefir! Some of you may use kefir for yourself. It’s awesome stuff and great for dogs too.

Kefir is a cultured milk product which contains beneficial bacteria for the intestines. Kefir is similar to yogurt but is more nutritious, providing more and different types of beneficial bacteria that can actually repopulate the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

It supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and B Vitamins. It is great for people and dogs that are lactose intolerant. Given first thing in the morning a few times a week, it keeps their systems running smoothly.

If you haven’t heard of kefir, don’t feel bad. I eat all sorts of healthy stuff and I didn’t even know what it was until recently.

Dog Food Review - Raw Eggs

Yes, I said raw. Remember dogs have a much stronger tolerance to bacteria than we do. And if you’ve heard that raw egg whites lead to a biotin deficiency, forget it.

Raw eggs are one of nature’s most wholesome foods. Talk about more bang for your buck (economical), they are one of the most complete and nutritious foods you can get.

Feed the egg with the shell on. The phosphorus and calcium are perfectly balanced, making the egg a nearly complete source of nutrition for your dog.
It took me awhile to get used to feeding the shell even though I knew it was a wonderful source of calcium. I kept thinking they’d cut themselves on the shells but with five dogs, it never happened.

My daughter thinks it’s fun to give an egg one big squeeze to crush it in her bare hand and then add it to the food bowl.
And of course free range chickens raised without hormones or antibiotics make the most nutritious eggs you can get. If you cook them for yourself, you’ll probably notice the yoke stands higher and is more richly colored.

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If you like this e-zine, please do a friend and me a big favor and "pay it forward."

If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting Three Little Pitties dog health newsletter sign up page.

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This is my favorite picture of Kurby. "He" sent it to me for Christmas the year after he and my son moved away from home. The story was, both my sons took Kurby fishing with them and he got cold so they put the raincoat on him.

When they got back to shore, instead of folks being weary of the Pit Bull, they thought him adorable and made friends. Now you know why you see dressed up dogs at Three Little Pitties sometimes.